"By the grace of Shaddam IV of House Corrino, ascendant to the Golden Lion Throne of Padishah Emperor of the Known Universe, I stand before you as Herald of the Change. We are witnessed by members of the Imperial Court, representatives of the Spacing Guild and a sister of the Bene Gesserit. The Emperor has spoken. 'House Atreides shall immediately take control of Arrakis and serve as its steward.' Do you accept?"
Jack glanced around and he snuck a glance at the Bene Gesserit sister, one of the witnesses who had come to bear witness to the signing.
'These guys are such a pain to deal with,' Jack thought as he remembered what Paul originally went through cause of Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam and how he might also have to go through this test.
'No Way!' Jack thought to himself feeling a slight shiver creep down his spine 'There is no way in hell I am going through with that test' he decided.
'What... what a headache,' Jack thought as his mind was coming up with ways to avoid this seemingly unavoidable event without letting any suspicion fall on him.
Jack glanced at Duke Leto.
Waiting for what he would say like everybody else, except he knew exactly what Duke Leto was going to say next.
"We are House Atreides. There is no call we do not answer. There is no faith that we betray."
The strong breeze blew as Duke Leto agreed.
Stepping down from the podium, Duke Leto moved towards the signing table where the Herald proceeded to press Duke Leto's signet ring into the document using the wax seal, and very soon the imperial entourage left.
About half an hour later, the ceremony had ended and Jack was wandering around the large natural landscape of the Atreides Estate.
Taking a deep breath, seeing the vast ocean stretching far beyond his view from the cliff he was on, his black coat ruffled behind him.
Standing there for a few seconds, he just took it all in.
"I am so grandly fucked...
Two months.
Two months before betrayal.
Two months before the Harkonnens come." He muttered.
Duke Leto had already signed, there was no going back.
"Paul!" He suddenly heard a shout coming from a distance.
Jack didn't react for a few seconds until he heard the name get shouted out again.
Looking towards the voice, he saw Duke Leto waving at him asking him to come over.
Jack waved back and began to approach Duke Leto.
Soon, he arrived in front of Duke Leto.
"Isn't this so beautiful?" Duke Leto said with a calm smile.
Jack mentally rehearsed what he was going to say, he also could not let Duke Leto get suspicious towards his identity.
"Yes Father, it is very beautiful," Jack said in a rather solemn tone.
His mind was already racing to figure out what he could say next.
He did not care about the visions and the future prophecies, he was no longer Paul from the prophesies after all. He did not want to walk into the meat grinder of politics and war called Arrakis, but at this stage, he could only improvise and try to avoid the impending doom of the Atreides Family.
"Father, I saw a vision, a terrifying one, I witnessed an attack..." Jack said, and hesitated a little.
Duke Leto frowned.
"An attack?"
"Yes Father."
"Since when have you been having these visions?" Duke Leto asked, his mind was focused on what Jack said, "Terrifying attack."
"I have had it for a while now, nothing this vivid however," Jack solemnly said.
Duke Leto's face immediately turned serious.
"Tell me what happened in the vision."
"It was the dead of night on Arrakis when all of a sudden Hundreds of ships descended upon the base, leading a full assault. These battle ships opened fire on the base while soldiers marched towards the central palace" Jack said.
Duke Leto got agitated at this moment and gripped Paul's shoulders tightly.
Jack was caught off guard. The grip was firm. Familiar.
Not Jack's memory. Paul's.
"Did you see who was behind it!" he asked solemnly.
Jack pretended to get a sudden headache, his eyes squinted slightly as he clutched his head.
Seeing Jack, Duke Leto quickly composed himself, loosening his grip he took a step back.
"Vladimir Harkonnen," Jack said quietly.
He swallowed. "You were restrained… poisoned, I think. It was blurry. The Baron was speaking to you while you couldn't even stand. Outside, our forces were falling."
Time seemed to have come to a halt at this moment.
Silence settled between them and the calming winds off Caladan did nothing to ease it..
Duke Leto let out a sigh after a moment.
"I saw this as an opportunity and a danger." Duke Leto turned around, staring out at the expansive landscape.
"I saw this as our time Paul. The Emperor fears House Atreides that much I know, that's why he's pushing us away from Caladan, but if your vision is accurate, the fleet that attacks Arrakis... that is not something The Baron can launch at will unless..."
"Unless the Emperor's hands are behind it," Jack muttered.
Duke Leto turned his head around slightly, a frown etched on his face, glancing at Paul he nodded.
"Father, it's too late to go back now," Jack said.
"Indeed," Duke Leto acknowledged.
"I wonder why you didn't bring this to me before the signing," Duke Leto questioned.
Jack's back straightened.
'I tried!' Jack wished he could say, but chose not to.
"I got this sudden vision a little after the signing," Jack spoke.
'Duke Leto does not know the specifics of my visions, Lady Jessica herself does not, so they won't be able to find a flaw in my words.'
"Even if I did bring it to you a little earlier... would it have made a difference?" Jack asked.
"You are right," Leto let out an exhausted sigh.
"Well, no matter if your vision is accurate or not, we need to be prepared as if it were real." Duke Leto's eyes sharpened.
"Excuse me son," Duke Leto said as he turned around and began walking away from Jack.
Jack let out a breath he didn't know he was holding glancing at Duke Leto walking away.
"I think...
I might be a little less fucked..." Jack murmured